This comes up all the time so here's my complete breakdown.
Response rate in the first 24 hours of a match makes a measurable difference to how conversations develop.
Things that have genuinely helped me:
- Check reviews from the last six months — older ones go stale fast
- See whether real profiles are visible before any payment is required
- Avoid anything demanding excessive personal info at signup
- Test whether support is reachable before you commit
Currently using Turndate as my main go-to and it's been solid. No major issues, decent activity, enough control over settings.
Hope that gives you something concrete to work with.